Helicopter pilots and motorcycles
 

Just curious... Since a lot helicopter pilots seem to have a thing for motorcycles: What kind of bike(s) do you ride; have you ever sold a bike to pay for training; any helicopter pilots out there who do not like motorcycles? Other comments?

Me: 2001 HD Sportster - sold to help pay for training. I really do miss it. Next bike will be a V-Rod.

-Jeff

I hate motorcycles for the pure fact when you get a student that had a motorcycle they seem to have a tendency to roll the throttle the wrong way. Other than that I wish I had one but no money :( Glad to see you have a cruiser rather than a crotch rocket too.

Had a Ducati 916 Senna, was going to be my investment bike!!!

Sold it to pay for my instructor rating.

After 5 years of fulltime employment, I now have a new 2004 R1 on order and a jetski.

Large sacrifice at the time, bit wouldn't change anything now.

Honda VFR750

Honda AfricaTwin XRV750

Did have a Ninja 900 too, until some scumbag ran off with it in the night!

Triumph Bonneville 2002 limited edition in Silver and Lucifer (that's orange to you and me!)

Can't be doing with those modern sports bikes - mainly 'cos they're too high off the ground for my little leggies :)

Appreciate comment about throttle being the wrong way round BUT...

Helicopter throttle is used with a different hand...SO....if you take your right hand and try to operate heli throttle with it you will find out it IS the same way.

...well that's how MY brain works ;)

Cheers

Whirlygig

Hi,

I once read that commercial jets pilots tend to develop a liking for BMWs, the fighter pilots favor the japanese crotch rockets while we chopper pilots want to stay with the vibes and ride HDs or similar.

I have a 99 Sporster 1200 S.

Cheers

ATN

Harley 883 Sportster Custom, fantastic bike. The throttle thing is true... When I first converted to Squirrel there was a hot start that I made hotter!! Was convinced that was the way to close a throttle!! Doesn't help when you are joining CFS at the time... As the boss... Doh!

Road raced for 10 years around Oz and even had a race at Donnington. Finally frustrated with the journey and the repair work I sold the lot to help fund the licence. Looking back, I believe there would have been fewer repairs, had I flown helicopters first. Flying and riding are unique, but have those “Sister skills” that enhance each other.
It’s just natural that pilots ride.

Current bike: FZR1000D (1992)………...for sale, excellent cond. (au)$6500 ono.

1989 ZX10 + a 1976 Z900.
Both Kawasaki's.
No problem with throttle as it is in the other hand.

Sorry guys....but harleys are more suited for nautical purposes. They make great boat anchors (quote "Squeek" unquote).

Who out there has ridden "the Dragon"?

Squeek !!!

Gidday stranger :)

2001 Suzuki SV650, unfaired in blue, trying to sell it now to repay the loan taken out for the training I am about to start. Still in warranty, taxed bargain at £2400 ono!!

Steve76

You've sunk me with that, Captain.
Happy Australia Day mate - email me.

As time marches on I think of the ones I had and wish I still had.

Triumph T120 Bonneville, T120TT; Honda CB750, XL650; Harley and my favorite which is probably worth a ton now. Matchless G50.
If I hit the Lotto it will be a New Ducati or BMW.

Honda VFR800 Anniversary Edn.
 

Had it a couple of years now, v low miles due to working away from home, but now I`m back and the summer is just around the corner :ok: I even wave to Harley riders JT, and a combination of age and over enthusiastic defenders of the law means that I may even slow to Harley speeds this year.

Ref: Throttle

Rode an ex despatch riders bike a few years back and the LH had the `throttle` and the RH had an `Advance/retard`; idea was that the rider was almost certainly right handed therefore needed RH for pistol whilst powering up with left hand. Dont know how fast I went for there was no speedo but what was probably only 35/40 felt like 120!!

Honda Goldwing
 

Honda Goldwing GL 1500 SE,

sold last year to fund trip to USA, saving up for a GL 1800 or Harley. Undecided yet which.

Prefer the Goldwing Look but hurts the knees after a while and too wide and uncomfortable for outriggers for my short legs.

Harley has better legs forward riding position, but tank seems wider to me at the point where the knees go.

Suzuki Intruder 800.
"T" boned a car @ 60 mph, pulling out from a junction. Multiple injuries including a severed lower leg, radial plexus nerve damage to the right arm where the nerve endings 'popped' out of their sockets, severed the urethra, broken toe! cracked pelvis, broken finger. And B**ocks like marrows after taking the gas tank off with my tackle:ok:
And to rub it all in...the CAA took my licence off me:oh:
Took me 12 months to fly again....now worth more in scrap metal than ever before:D
Bikes / marriage, bikes / marriage, bikes / marriage.............Damn - wife still here ;)

Yamaha Dragstar:cool: err.. Severed urethra.......! Yow...!

Fireblade, an I am still intact. Wish I could say the same for the driving licence, it has had 3 points on it since points started, f*c**g cameras, *u*ing police.

KTM 250 enduro bike, nothing like having 13inches

Of suspension travel that is !!!!!!!!!

at the moment an xl1000 varadero

Honda CR250R

those were the days - then I quit racing and bought a Suzuki GS550, but after almost getting killed one too many times by the "I didn't see him" crowd, I quit the motorcycle game and now stick to my Gary Fisher Joshua Zer0 and the narrow twisties in the woods.
:8

ZX-9R Ninja (C2 model)

Have had a '83 VF 750 since first turbine job in PNG. Haven't ridden it much for the last few years so its sitting in the shed gathering dust. Came home from 2 weeks fire fighting a couple of months ago on a Saturday. Asked wife what she wanted to do on the Sunday. Got told "Don't know about you , but I'm going to golf."
Now I have an immaculate '99 R1

CBR600

And a mangled ZX6R in the garage as a future track day project. Track day that put it there too:ouch:

Murdercycles
 

While in service I took a trip from Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Norfolk, Virginia. My buddy and I were riding on an Indian that had a suicide clutch. We were a bit confused as to who was steering and as we rounded a curve we hit a patch of sand and slid onto the grassy lawn of two old spinsters. They thought we were dead. Not dead but highly embarrassed. We were wearing our white uniforms and what was not damaged by the sand was covered in grass stain. We turned around and went back to base. This time he steered.

Many years later I tried riding my sons Honda 90 and made the mistake of placing my feet in front of the foot pegs. As I started out my feet were dragged under the pegs. Lucky for me it was soft ground. That was my last attempt. My son eventually graduated to a big bore BMW that he got at the factory and he sold it in Seattle for more than he paid for it. He went on to get a Yamaha 750 which he had painted in pearl white. During that time he also had a motocross bike and a trials bike. Me, I like four wheels, and if my knees get any worse, those four wheels will be on a wheel chair.


:E :E

Lu, you got a story for everything don't you? If you have grand kids I bet you entertain the crap out of them...:)

I've been riding longer than I've been flying. Unlike TC and Lu, haven't had any bad crackups yet. Two in the garage awaiting general cleanup and rebirth: 1) Original 1973 Kawasaki Z-1 and 2) 1978 Z-1R (the silver/blue one). The Bronson red '86 Sporty (first year Evo!) is the daily-rider. Always wanted a Sportster but was put off by all those who considered Harleys to be "boat anchors." Never imagined how much fun the bike would be to ride. With the low c.g. and tonnes of torque, it is by far my favorite motocicleta of all time. Plus, I can go out to the garage with a cold Guinness or six and just sit and stare at the Harley for hours. The darn thing is hypnotic. Last bike I could do that to was my first bike, my Honda CL350. But I was sixteen at the time. And it was root beer.

Oh Lu? Here's a clue: the guy in front usually steers. The girl on the back just sits there, holds me tenderly and keeps quiet. Don't know quite how you got that confused. :rolleyes:

Two guys on one motorcycle = gay

Ya gotta love the bikes!!

I started out on Moto X bikes when i was about 7 ish, i ended up with a Honda CR500 which i sold in 94, and i got into road bikes, had a Suzuki GSXR 750 and now have a 94 Ducati 900 ss, lovelly bike but very ducati nothing works when u want them to!!

Hey PPRUNE FAN #1

Ex- Z1 drivers rock! (even if you do have a bike that only manages to produce 60hp for a 883 cc engine....:hmm: )

Your days on the old 900 will offset that for a few years to come.
Check out this link for some $hit hot mods to the ol Zee.

http://www.streetfighters.nl/kaw/kawasaki.htm

zoom zoom....
Squeek.....still waiting for that mailie champ :ok:

wasnt too bad on the peewee 50 but hit a stump on a kx 80 and remember watching the post hit me in the head as i slid under the fence. had to open the gate to get back in the padock. another friends honda 80 (i think), didnt go too good plowing into a bank of dirt either, thought he wanted to race but he was saying "there's a turn up ahead"! went through that fence aswell, and didnt feel the wasps biting (as i wrecked there nest).
had a XL250R which went like the clapers after i rebuilt the engine but got a little scared on my bike L's when i run off a gravel road rounding a corner and rode every bolder in the drain! didnt come off though must be gettin better! sounds like i better get another one :ouch: maybe.

Just sold a 1998 nx650 dominator and about to get the xl650v transalp... fingers crossed

86 Kawasaki GPZ1000RX and shortly to get BMW 1150 GS.

I ride a Springer Softaail that I bought in 1995. When I got it there was an oil leak under one of the lifter block, so, I tore into it to fix that. While I had that down I went a little further until it was down to the bare frame. About 500 hours labor later I had a really nice custom bike. Click on link to see.

http://community.webshots.com/album/94558520QzCiFZ

It turned out pretty good, but I'm ready for a new project if anyone is interested in this one. Ride safe.
Barry

A 1959 Lambretta Li 150 Series 2. Yeah, all right, I know it's not a bike. But, it's got two wheels and I don't have to pedal it! :)

Ducati 748. Fantastic!

I wouldn't classify a Harley as a boat anchor, Modern anchors have got more technology built into them! Horrible nasty, expensive things. (Says the man who owns a really cheap to run Duke...:rolleyes: )

a) '51 Sunbeam S7 b) '02 Buell X1 Lightning

Currently in the stable
1.Ducati 998 B.Bostrom Replica
2.Harley Davidson Fatboy
3.harley Davidson Bad Boy (Springer with no chrome!)
4.Yamaha WR400
5. Gas Gas TXT 280 Pro.
6.Yamaha FZR 400 RRSP

Have to admit that I share the fatboy and the FZR with my mother !
I never really liked bikes!

Snappy comeback
 

To: PPRUNE FAN #1

Me, gay? Sometimes you make me so angry if you were here right now I would hit you with my purse.

:E :E

Bikes and Helo's
 

GSX-R 750.

(Jcooper. just like Steve76 said, Throttle is on the other hand :ok: )

Harleys are for all types of seamen :E (anchors included)

MD

'91 Honda CB750
'85 Beta TR34 Trials
'77 AJS Stormer Factory converted Scrambler / Road bike.

Lu, why don't you and PF#1 just kiss and make up? :E